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I want to look at the "art" of stabilizing and lifting over the next few issues. I think we tend to spend a lot of time on the actual extrication techniques but sometimes overlook the stabilizing of the vehicles. How much time do we spend training on stabilization? I can do an entire weekend class just on stabilizing and lifting of ...

When we look at stabilization we need to consider taking that extra "few" seconds to access our scene and vehicles, and what it will take to properly stabilize the vehicles involved. We talked about some of the basic wood and plastic cribbing as well as the types of movement we are trying to prevent. I want to look at utilizing the ...

I have been in Rescue for over 32 years and have taught for over 25 of those. I attended church this past Sunday, which I try to do when I’m not teaching, and came across something in our bulletin that I wanted to pass along to everyone. We were honoring our past and present teachers in the church, and I found ...

We in the Fire, Rescue and EMS service are typically “A” type of personality and enjoy the adrenalin rush we get from the calls we respond to. That is not a bad thing since it takes this type of person to do the job we do. How many times have you heard someone tell you that they are glad that you ...

On August 9th through the 12th, the North Carolina Fire Marshall’s Office, Department of Insurance, Fire and Rescue Division, along with the Atlantic Beach Fire Department, hosted the first pilot program for tower rescue. The classroom was held at the main Atlantic Beach Fire station and the practical work was held in Morehead City, at one of their cell tower sites. ...

I first would like to share some information that all Instructors like to hear from classes they have taught. Several weeks back, I taught a heavy truck rescue class at the Cooper’s Fire Department in Nash County. On Friday of the following week, I received a phone call from Assistant Chief Jamie Moss, in reference to a motor vehicle crash that ...

I first would like to share some information that all Instructors like to hear from classes they have taught. Several weeks back, I taught a heavy truck rescue class at the Cooper’s Fire Department in Nash County. On Friday of the following week, I received a phone call from Assistant Chief Jamie Moss, in reference to a motor vehicle crash that ...

*Computer Mapping in the 21st Century* Computers have become a major player in our lives over the past 10 years, and the ability to keep up with the technology lies only with those who can upgrade their computers several times a year. Unfortunately, most of us in public safety are still hoping to upgrade from two years ago. Email has become ...

I wrote in the winter issue that I would tell the story of the rescue up at Peeks Creek in Macon County, North Carolina. Well, here is the Readers Digest version of that rescue. We had just returned from our deployment in Morganton, for hurricane Frances, when word was coming down the pipes that hurricane Ivan may also target North Carolina. ...

The first of August, my Guatemala Rescue Team left for a week to train their folks in basic rescue techniques. We had to utilize the equipment we were able to get donated. This was composed of mostly hand tools, but did include a hydraulic combi-tool, some reciprocating saws, and stabilization jacks. We were tasked with teaching these folks the basics of ...

Our mission trip to Guatemala was pretty awesome and we had a great time teaching their folks some basic rescue techniques. They were eager to learn and we plan on returning July 2010 to continue their training and hopefully get some more equipment donated. Catch my articles on the trip and what we did. Last issue we looked at how we ...

For several years now I have gone to the Appalachian Mountains with a group from my church on an ASP project where we do repairs and construction on houses of those less fortunate. These folks could not otherwise afford to have these repairs done and live with leaking roofs, in dilapidated dwellings, with dangerous wiring, and some with inferior plumbing. The ...

This is the first of a three part article on big truck extrication. *We are going to first take a look at basic truck anatomy. In article two we will discuss scene approach, hazards, and stabilization. In part three we will talk about extrication techniques.* Trucks have been around since shortly after the coming of the motorized automobile. They have become ...

Sometimes I wonder if rescuers realize just how many trucks are actually on our highways traveling each and everyday. My wife and I took a trip out west last Spring to see the Grand Canyon. I decided to drive in order to stop and see other things we might be interested in seeing along the way. Driving from North Carolina to ...

In the last two articles we have looked at how trucks are constructed, the types of trailers they may be pulling, the tremendous weights that may be involved, the hazards that come from dealing with large trucks, assessing and approaching these types of crashes, and how to look at some basic stabilization methods. Now we are going to look at some ...

I hope everyone’s summer went well. You know we tend to do less training in the summer, due to the heat, vacations and other family things. Now that fall and winter are here, our training will probably pick up some, as it should. Of course, when you read this, we will be into or finishing the holidays and the winter months ...

We see the bright yellow buses travel our roads and highways everyday. These buses are not only carrying the future of our country, but the future firefighters, rescue and EMS workers that will inherit our plight to protect and save lives. It is our duty and obligation as rescue workers to be highly skilled and trained in rescuing this precious cargo. ...

I hope this column finds everyone well. As I write this next part on bus extrication, and we look further into how buses are constructed, I have had the opportunity to teach several more classes on bus extrication. Each time I do a class I always learn more from my students and being able to experiment with techniques. We have also ...

I hope this finds everyone well and the winter was not too bad. Sometimes it is a slight disadvantage when I write an article or column and it doesn’t reach everyone until several months later. I attended the Piedmont Fire Seminar in Winston Salem and had a chance to talk with a lot fireman. The seminar looked like it went well. ...

When this column reaches you, school for the most part will be out for the summer. However, there are year around schools all across the state. My step daughter Taylor, attends a year around middle school and attended a year around elementary school. So just because it may be summer, doesn’t mean that some of the school buses are not still ...